Steel and Stone
by Rezicca
Summary: Post TP. After receiving a stone from Zelda to communicate if Ganon's followers attack, Link is alerted and hurries to Hyrule castle to find that Zelda is gone and the guards have been turned to stone.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: So this story is for my friend Sammy. She loves The Legend of Zelda and tolerates my writing and is pretty much a saint. Love you hon. 3 To the other readers, because I hope there will be as well, I hope you enjoy this! Please R&R!**

**I own none of these characters, unfortunately. **

He watched as the princess of the Twilight shed a single tear and the Mirror of Twilight was destroyed, turning into dust before his eyes.

"Link…see you later," she murmured in farewell and returned to her realm, the swordsman watching her with his bright blue eyes never leaving her face, grateful beyond words for everything, for helping him restore light to his world, for helping him free Zelda, and for being a friend and a companion for the last few months. They had embraced danger together, risking life and limb. That was a bond that could not be described, could only be experienced. Oh, he would miss her, the swordsman realized as he watched the princess leave the world of light, returning to her land.

"We will be forever indebted to her," Link thought aloud, "for everything she did to us." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Princess Zelda nod, tall, proud and stoic.

"And you as well, Link. You both saved us, all of us." She walked to him and placed her hand on his shoulder. He tore his eyes away from where the mirror had once stood to look at Zelda, but then returned his gaze to the empty mirror frame.

"Come," she said suddenly, motioning for him to follow her. "Night is coming, and you deserve to rest before returning to the Ordon province." He nodded and turned to follow her, taking out the whistle Ilia had given him and calling Epona to them; riding on her would be faster than going on foot, and safer, for he doubted that all the beasts of Hyrule had left the land.

The beautiful, proud horse came galloping to where they stood, pushing her muzzle into his palm as he patted her flank affectionately. He climbed on to the mare and pulled the princess up with him, glancing behind them at the empty frame where the Mirror of Twilight once stood one last time before galloping off.

Behind them, the sun was setting and night was quickly falling. In the distance he could see the towers of Hyrule castle looming in the distance, now free from the prison that it had been confined in. It looked beautiful in the twilight; he had never really noticed before, barely taking time to look around him before dashing off to new places, helping people and eradicating the monsters and demons that lurked in the new locations.

They said little as they rode towards the castle, for which the swordsman was grateful; it allowed him a few silent moments to think and to organize his thoughts, which were threatening to overtake his mind.

"Will you stay here tonight, or continue on to your village?" the Princess of Hyrule asked as they reached the beautiful castle, the moon beginning its slow descent into the sky. "It is growing late. Perhaps you wish to rest?"

Link thought about staying for a moment, realizing that, for unknown reasons, he did not want to immediately return to Ordon. The thought was almost unpleasant. And as soon as he realized this, he became aware of how exhausted he truly was.

Not being completely aware of what he was saying, he obliged and the Princess visibly relaxed.

"Thank you for staying," the Princess said gratefully as she folded her hands. They were seated in a small room, the décor of which was ornate and luxurious. After they had entered the castle, Princess Zelda had requested privacy from the servants and led the swordsman to a room in the corner of the castle. "There is much I wish to discuss with you, and I wish to hear about your journey from our first encounter to now. If you don't mind, of course," she quickly added, watching him as she spoke.

Realizing quickly that she wished for him to speak first, the blue eyed swordsman recounted the journey for her, explaining what Midna had told him, and what they had learned about not only Zant, but Ganondorf as well. He could still see the evil man in his mind, and he felt even more exhausted as he remembered the final battle between them.

"It seems Ganondorf planned for this from the very beginning," she murmured after listening to Link. "He escaped after being imprisoned by the sages…" her voice trailed off as she looked down.

"But he has been sealed away, permanently," Link added quickly, although he did not fully believe what he was saying.

"I do not believe so," she spoke softly, tearing her gaze away from his. "It is very likely he could escape again, in which case we would need to be ready to fight him." Realization flooded through the swordsman.

"He would want revenge." He thought aloud, raising his own gaze to the ceiling above. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zelda nod, looking almost worried.

_How long until he does escape, if he does at all? But Zelda is right; it is likely he will. He did once. But that was different! _Thoughts flooded into his mind faster than he could keep track of them. _The sages sealed him into the Twilight, where he could become powerful once again. But we did not do that._

"Link, I would like to give you something." The princess's smooth, clear voice pulled him out of his thoughts and he returned his gaze to her, watching her hands as she rotated a small blue-gray stone and rubbed it with her thumb. "If Ganondorf returns, or anything else, I will need to contact you." She looked down at the stone, then handed it to him. Link reached out a hand to take the stone, then stopped suddenly when the triforce on the back of his hand began to emit a faint glow. At the same time, the earth began to shake, however it was over almost as soon as it began.

Princess Zelda looked up at the ceiling, her eyes wide, but returned her gaze to Link, who was rubbing the back of his hand and watching her. She stood quickly, her dress rustling, and handed the stone to Link, looking again at the ceiling.

The swordsman looked down at the stone as the princess turned away, watching as she sighed and lowered her head.

"Ganondorf may be gone, but we will meet again somehow." She lowered her voice and turned to face Link again, her eyes moving to the stone in his hands. "We have been chosen by the gods, and our fates will be forever intertwined."

The princess turned and walked to the corner of the room where an ornate shield hung on the wall, running a finger down it as she spoke.

"He will have supporters, followers, who will attempt to bring him back. When that does happen, we must be prepared. They could begin tomorrow, or many years in the future. But we must be prepared, Link."

Link thought of Zant briefly, and the swordsman felt nauseous as he thought of Ganondorf's followers being used in the same manner.

"The stone I gave you, it will be a way for us to communicate. It will alert you if I need you here. I am not sure how you will be alerted, but you will know. Until then, please be careful Link." She kept her eyes on his, then looked to the ground and walked towards the swordsman.

"What will you do after you return to Ordon?" The princess was sitting again and beckoned for Link to do the same. The question left him lost, and unsure how to answer.

To be honest, he had never thought much about life after defeating Zant, and then Ganondorf. He never allowed himself to think about the future, was more like it. When he and Midna could be killed at any time, they thought of the present, not the future. Now, here he was, the future coming at him.

"I'm not sure," he answered after much thought. "Before, I worked as a goat herder. I'll probably return to that and to my life before." Would he be able to though? After everything he had seen and done, he doubted that his life could ever return to normal. He still saw the burning face of Ganondorf, clear as if he were seeing it again. He still felt traces of the fear and anguish that had threatened to overcome him when he thought Midna had been killed by Ganondorf.

Princess Zelda smiled softly, and looked over Link's shoulder to the window; night had fallen.

"You are leaving in the morning?" She asked suddenly, surprising Link.

"Yes, at dawn." The journey back to Ordon would be a long one.

"Then forgive me. I should allow you to rest." She smiled softly again, and turned to leave. "Thank you, Link. You are a true hero. Thank you for lending us your strength today, and in the days before this one. And thank you for continuing to do so. We will need it." She sighed and left the room, closing the door behind her.

**AN: I hope everyone enjoyed reading the first chapter. It was a bit slow, but I promise that there will be more action and better dialogue in the chapters to follow. Please review and let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Hey! So I'm going to try to update at least once a week, because my school schedule is all bleh. Hope everyone enjoys this chapter! Please read and review!**

Despite his exhaustion, Link slept little that night. He tossed and turned, spending more time awake than asleep, and the little time he did spend sleeping was filled with nightmares from which he woke up in a cold sweat.

For the most part, the dreams were similar: he was fighting Ganondorf. Every time the Hylian closed his eyes, he saw the twisted face of the evil swordsman. He heard the ominous laughter and smelled the overwhelming scent of evil.

_Ganondorf is gone_, Link told himself, having woken up once again, shivering as the evil, burning face slowly faded from his mind. As his heart continued to pound, he swore that he could still hear the evil swordsman's laughter. Closing his eyes to block it out, his left arm twitched as he stopped himself for reaching for the Master Sword, which lay a few feet away.

Sighing, he stood and walked through the dark room and stopped at the window, gazing out at the horizon where the sky was beginning to turn light pink and yellow and blue; the sun was beginning, and he realized that there was little point in attempting to go back to sleep. Anyways, he would be leaving soon.

Link had not realized until that moment how much he had loved travelling across Hyrule, even if not a day went by when his life wasn't in danger. It was…was…just so unlike his life in Ordon. There was no real structure to it, no security. Leaning against the window, he recalled the days spent travelling from one end of Hyrule to the opposite end. In a few short weeks, he had seen more of Hyrule than he ever had before.

But at the same time, he longed to return to Ordon village, to the people and the goats and, just to the serene village itself.

Link was pulled abruptly out of his thoughts by the sound of a loud crash from above. The Hylian stepped away from the window, and his hand instinctively went to the sword, which still lay on a small end table. Gripping the hilt with his left hand and the sheathe in his right, Link stared up at the ceiling for almost a full minute before hurrying to step into his boots, grabbing his shield, and hurrying out the door, unsheathing the sword and hanging the sheathe over his shoulder as he hurried out into the hallway.

It was dimly lit, with only a handful of torches on the walls to illuminate the hall. Gripping the hilt of the Master Sword tightly, Link quickly glanced to his right, and then hurried down the hall to his left, trying to remember the layout of Hyrule castle. The main room of this level of the castle was to his left, Link recalled as he hurried down the hall, glancing over his shoulder cautiously every few steps.

The main room was partially destroyed still from being under the control of evil. Lanterns and torches on the walls illuminated the cracked pillars and debris that littered the tiled ground. Princess Zelda stood near the southern entrance of the room, speaking to three of the soldiers that guarded Hyrule castle. She glanced at Link, then nodded to the guards who saluted and exited through the western exit. As the Hylian began to approach the Princess, she quickly glanced up at the ceiling, then back at the swordsman.

"It appears that the earthquake last night weakened a few pillars in the throne room." She said softly to Link as he neared her.

"They collapsed?" He relaxed slightly as she nodded, uttering a silent prayer of thanks that the castle was not under attack. The princess nodded as she met his gaze.

"Are you leaving soon?" She asked, her expression unreadable.

"Yes." Princess Zelda moved towards Link, exhaustion visible in her eyes.

"Thank you, Link, for assisting us. May your journey back to the Ordon province be a safe one." She bowed quickly and offered him a small smile, which he returned.

Link looked back at the ceiling with a growing sense of dread that he could not explain, then walked out of the castle, out of the courtyard, and into Northern Castle town.

It was still early, and few people were out in the streets of Castle town at this hour. The few who were out hurried past Link on their own business, preparing for another day. The Hylian briefly wondered if any of them had heard, or even noticed, the battle of the previous night. Of course they would have, being as close to the castle as they were.

Link stole a quick glance over his shoulder, almost smiling as he saw a young man hurry down the street, and walked out of Castle Town at the eastern exit.

**AN: I apologize for the shortness of the chapter, as well as the lack of action. I will try to update again this week. Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave reviews and let me know what you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: I'm quite happy with how this chapter turned out, and I hope you enjoy reading it was well. Please R&R!**

**A huge, huge thanks to three amazing people, Orange Headphones, Kissy Fishy, and Sheena-MFfan for beta-reading this chapter. It doesn't even look like the same chapter anymore.**

After weeks of not being able to cross Hyrule field without being attacked, Link felt uneasy as he glanced around and saw no sign of any enemies. As they rode through the field, he kept expecting an ambush, but none came. Nevertheless, the young swordsman remained tense, constantly watching for signs of any upcoming attacks.

The sun rising on the horizon brought a beautiful light to the land, giving everything an almost golden glow. It was hard for Link to believe that he had only fought Ganondorf, in this very field, only yesterday. It felt like a lifetime ago.

He closed his brilliant blue eyes as Epona galloped across Hyrule field, trying to shut out the image of Ganondorf's burning face as it appeared in his mind once again.

Suddenly, the mare stopped and reared back, kicking her front legs and whinnying frantically. Link was thrown off and immediately reached for his sword, quickly glancing around for whatever had spooked Epona. But there was nothing, nothing but the trees and rocks that dotted the landscape. But as Link tried to calm the mare, he thought he saw out of the corner of his eye the edge of a black cloak. But…no. There was nothing there, he told himself. Epona, however, wasn't as convinced.

The young Hylian cautiously sheathed his sword and gripped the mare's reins, leading her away from where they had stopped. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was something there, something that he couldn't see.

After leading the mare a few yards away, Link slowly mounted her again. Still not completely convinced, he glanced again over his shoulder, scanning the area for any signs of movement. But there was nothing there.

"Hyeah!" Link cried, urging Epona to continue to gallop towards Ordon, still feeling uneasy. He could not shake off the feeling that something was following them. He dug his heels into her sides, and they continued to plow on, both unconsciously aware of an invisible danger behind them.

It was just past mid-day when Link and Epona finally arrived in the Faron woods. Not surprisingly, they were both exhausted by the trek across Hyrule field. After Epona had been spooked, Link had kept his hand on the hilt of the Master sword as they continued to travel to Ordon, hoping to be prepared in the event that any monster would attack. However, aside from the lone event, the journey was without incident.

As they neared the clearing where his home was, Link began to doze off, not completely watching his surroundings. All he thought about was climbing up the ladder and sleeping.

_Odd_, he thought, confused as he forced his eyes to open once again. It wasn't like him to be this exhausted. But he had barely slept the night before. Well, he had slept very little in the past few weeks; it was only natural that he should feel as exhausted as he felt.

At last, his home in the giant tree came into view. The grass seemed greener now than it did when he had left, and the clearing itself seemed darker. But it was welcoming; he was finally back in Ordon.

The Hylian quickly dismounted Epona, removing her saddle and reins and hanging them on a post, and patted her flank before climbing up the ladder and into his house.

It was just as he had left it, although perhaps dustier. Sighing, Link slowly placed the Master sword and his shield on the table near the door before removing his boots.

Walking to the bed on the far end of his house, Link stopped in front of a makeshift mirror a few feet away from the door. Oh, how different he looked, the Hylian realized as he observed his appearance.

His dirty blonde hair had grown longer; it was past his ears and almost at his shoulders now and looked more windswept underneath the green hat he wore. His eyes were sharper as well, and he understood now why the people he encountered had noted their resemblance to those of a proud beast; they did indeed look like the eyes of a wild animal, almost as if they could pierce anything. Looking away, the swordsman removed the green hat, brushing back his blonde hair as he did so.

Next, Link removed his tunic and chain mail, morbidly curious about how many scars he had accumulated during his adventures. After removing the soft white shirt he wore under the chain mail, Link grimaced at what he saw

Scars lined his body, but one stood out more than the rest. It was the longest and most jagged, cutting across the ribs on the right side of his abdomen. A Dark Nut, he remembered. It had been a lucky miss. Link recalled briefly how Midna had scolded him for being careless about defense and he smiled before tearing his eyes away from the mirror and heading to the bed. Sighing, he collapsed in it and quickly fell into an uneasy slumber.

**I apologize for making the chapter short, and I promise the upcoming chapters will be longer. Hope everyone enjoyed this. ^^ Sammy, love you lots and I hope you liked the ending.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: So, it's a bit late because I never got around to re-editing. Sorry about that. Hope you enjoy it though. I liked this chapter quite a bit. Really excited to start writing the next chapter as well. Please R&R and let me know what you thought! Thanks!**

**A huge thanks to everyone who read this chapter before it was posted. You guys helped so much. ^^**

Around mid-afternoon, Link was pulled out of his nap by the sound of laughter and loud chattering from outside. Still half asleep, he instinctively reached for his sword, but immediately became wide awake when he could not find it.

The Hylian sat up in bed, and took a second to remember where he was-in his home, and definitely not under attack. Sighing, he fell back and closed his eyes, trying to calm his pounding heart.

"Link! Are you in there?" a chorus of small voices cried outside his window. Link opened his eyes climbed out of bed, searching for his Ordonian clothes.

The Hero of Time was surprised at how accustomed he had become with wearing the chainmail under his tunic; he couldn't help but feel his Ordonian clothes were too light.

"Come out Link!" the children's voices cried out again. The hero smiled as he hunted for his shoes, remembering how impatient they could be at times.

Before leaving his house, Link's eyes wandered over to the Master sword lying on a table in the corner. He briefly pondered taking it with him, but decided against it; after all, he would have no need for it.

He opened the front door and the mid-afternoon sun momentarily blinded him, illuminating the inside of his house. On the ground below, Talo, Beth, and Colin were cheering and chattering excitedly. As the Hylian climbed down the ladder, his muscles protesting the entire time, the children swarmed him.

"Didja kill any monsters, Link?" Talo asked excitedly, his green eyes wide and shining. "Mr. Renado told us that you were helping to keep away the monsters that took us to that village! So did you?" The youth's curiosity and enthusiasm made Link smile as he thought about how to answer.

"Some must have been so big!" Beth exclaimed.

"Link, my dad just got back," Colin said quietly, but less timidly than before. "He said he was looking for you."

"Thanks, Colin. I'll go see him then," Link responded, thankful to have an excuse to remove himself from the conversation.

"Awwww! But you have to tell us about the monsters!" Talo cried indignantly.

"I will, I will," Link answered, raising his hands in defeat. "After I get back, I'll tell you all about them."

Rusl was standing in front of his house, still wearing his armor and holding the helmet under his arm. He looked up as Link approached and smiled at the young man.

"How the world has transformed in the last few months," Rusl thought aloud. Link nodded, his mind returning to the last few days before he had left Ordon to defeat Zant and Ganondorf.

"Rusl, thank you for…" Link's voice trailed off, but the older man understood.

"We didn't understand all of what you were doing until the very end, Link. I'm sure it could be said that the reason our world is no longer such a dark place is because of you and your efforts." Link was speechless. "You found the children, returned Ilia's memory, and defeated the forces that were threatening to overtake this world. People have been calling you a hero." He smiled at the swordsman, almost with pride, and looked away. It won't be easy to return to normal life, for either of us. But we can hope that perhaps our efforts will keep the evil forces away." The man returned his gaze to the Hylian and smiled. "You look exhausted."

"I am," Link laughed tiredly.

"Were the children pestering you?" The blonde shrugged before answering, turning serious almost immediately.

"They were asking about the monsters and the battles." Sighing, Link closed his eyes, Ganondorf's eyes burned into his mind. It had only been a day…

"LINK!" His eyes shot open and Link smiled as he saw Ilia waving from in front of the mayor's house. He forced a smile and waved back to her.

"You should rest, Link." He nodded and looked back at the man. "Don't be afraid of the memories. That's all they are." The older man smiled and turned to walk away.

"Thank you, Rusl," Link said softly before turning and walking towards Ilia, pondering Rusl's words.

"It's almost strange being back, isn't it?" Ilia asked as she stroked Epona. They were in the clearing just outside of Ordon village. The setting sun bathed the clearing in a golden light.

"It really is," Link sighed, leaning against a tree and crossing his arms. "I never really thought I'd come back here."

"What do you mean?" She looked up from Epona and stared at the swordsman. "That you'd find somewhere else or…"

"I was expecting to be killed before returning." He said softly, surprised that he was speaking his thoughts at all. He had never spoken to Midna about this, but it had been a constant fear. "Perhaps the next beast would be too strong or I would be too slow in defending myself…I expected to be killed."

"Did it scare you?" She had moved closer and was watching Link with wide, soft eyes.

"Of course," the question had caught him off guard. "But I didn't care. If I was going to be killed, I was talking as many beasts as I could with me. But…" he sighed and walked towards the horse, stroking her flank. "I was still afraid. There were times…I had never been so scared in my life. Thinking about it still scares me." His mind jumped to the image of Ganondorf's burning head and he felt his heart begin to pound again.

"You're so brave, Link," Ilia said softly as she approached him. "I don't think anyone else could have done what you did, for as long as you did." Behind them, the sun had almost set and the clearing was quickly growing dark. "It's getting late. You should sleep. You look like you could use it." He nodded and forced a smile as she walked out of the clearing and back into the village.

Sleep… Ilia was right. He had felt nothing but exhaustion since returning to Ordon. Link stroked Epona's mane while trying to calm his thoughts, then climbed up the ladder and entering his house.

Rusl was right: it would not be easy to return to normal life. After months of being out in the open, fighting for his life every day, Link felt almost confined in Ordon. He couldn't explain it, but travelling with Midna, battling beasts, it had felt almost natural, like that was where he should be.

Before climbing into bed, Link stuck out his left arm, observing the outline of the Triforce of Courage on the back of his hand. Courage… despite being afraid, he fought. Beasts and monsters and Ganondorf and Zant… He sighed and curled up in bed, trying to calm his mind and sleep.

A few hours later, after the Hero had fallen into a deep sleep, the stone in the pocket of his green tunic began to emit a bright glow.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: This is my favorite chapter so far. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Much thanks to Kissy Fishy for beta-reading this chapter! Please R&R!**

A few hours before dawn, Link woke with a start. His eyes shot open and he was momentarily blinded by a bright, almost blue light. Shielding his eyes with his hand, the Hylian waited until they had become accustomed to the light before moving out of bed.

However, as soon as his feet touched the floor, the light began to flicker and dim. Almost instinctively, Link walked towards the Master Sword and grabbed it just as the light went out.

_The stone!_ The Hylian realized as the light flickered on for a moment, and then went out once again. The Master Sword still in his left hand, he reached for the stone in the pocket of his tunic with his right hand.

The moment Link brought it out of the pocket, he dropped it to the floor with a cry, dropping the Master Sword as well as he clutched his hand; the stone was burning hot, but it hadn't scorched the floor or burned his tunic, Link realized.

_Zelda!_ Almost immediately, Link tore off his Ordonian clothes and threw on his green tunic, sheathing his sword as he stepped into his boots. He quickly considered bringing his other weapons along, but decided against it; he would need to travel quickly and they would just weigh him down.

The stone…perhaps that should stay as well, Link decided as he caught sight of it still on the floor. Looking around his house nervously, he grabbed the Hylian shield and exited through the door. He leapt off the platform, wincing as he landed, then mounted Epona. She whinnied as he dug his heels into her sides and took off almost immediately, Link leaning forward to as she galloped towards the Lanayru province.

Above them, the sky was almost black with few visible stars. The wind was strong and colder than usual for this time of year. Link wondered briefly if it would rain before they reached Hyrule.

Almost an hour later, as they were passing out of the Faron Province and into Hyrule field, the Hylian realized something was wrong.

He could see nothing around them. The wind was still and there were no sounds other than Epona's hooves on the dirt. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck begin to stand up, Link unsheathed his sword and stopped the chestnut mare. As he looked around, he could hear her whinny nervously and his heart began to pound.

Suddenly, he was thrown from the horse and landed on his left side, the Master Sword flying out of his hand. To his right, Epona was rearing back and kicking up her front legs, as if there were something in front of her.

Before he could get to his feet, Link was pushed onto his back and pinned down by _something. _Trying to reach for the Master Sword, he stopped dead as he came face to face with these _eyes. _They were beautiful and terrifying at the same time, with irises the color of blood and pupils so brown they were almost black. They were almost the shape of almonds and seemed to smile at him, but were gone almost as soon as they appeared. Immediately, Link felt the weight disappear from his shoulders and Epona had calmed down.

His heart pounding, Link climbed to his feet and walked to the Master Sword, gripping the hilt tightly as he lifted it. He glanced around, looking for the owner of the striking red eyes. But he couldn't see a thing in the black landscape, other than the silhouette of Epona who was watching him nervously.

Deciding that they were alone again, Link climbed onto the mare's back, although he did not sheathe his sword this time. After another quick glance around them, he dug his heels into her side and they sped off towards the Lanayru province.

Link and Epona reached Castle Town just as dawn was beginning to illuminate Hyrule. At the drawbridge, Link leapt off the mare and ran into the town, sheathing his sword so as to prevent a panic from the people of Castle Town.

Not unexpectedly, few were out at this early hour, for which Link was grateful. However, he noticed as he hurried into North Castle Town, there weren't any soldiers present.

None at all.

Link stopped in his tracks, his hand on the hilt of the Master Sword, feeling uneasy as he glanced around. Usually they were present everywhere…but now they were gone.

Feeling as if his heart had fallen into his stomach, the Hylian unsheathed the Master Sword and hurried North into the Hyrule Castle courtyard.

By this time, the sun had entered the sky and was casting long shadows in the courtyard, though most of the sky remained dark and… almost foreboding.

The entrance to the castle had been broken down and the pieces lay scattered around the courtyard. As he walked towards the entrance, Link quickly removed the shield from his back, grasping it with his right hand as he looked around.

Near the entrance, he spotted a statue in the shape of a soldier. Something was almost...ominous about it, Link realized as he neared the statue.

The soldier was in a fighting stance, his sword drawn and at the ready. The statue seemed to be looking at something, and the mouth was open, almost in a shout. Or a scream…

Tearing his eyes away from the statue, Link spotted the stone sword of another statue just inside the castle. His heart pounding in his chest, he quickly entered and gasped in horror at what he saw.

Statues.

All of soldiers.

Some were lying on their sides, some were upright, and some were broken in pieces. All shared the same look of horror on their faces.

A wave of panic washing over him, Link hurried out of the main room and began to climb up to the throne room. Had Princess Zelda…?

The door to the next room looked as if it had been scratched and clawed, the Hylian observed as he turned the handle and stepped into blackness.

The room was pitch black. The swordsman thought about using the lantern, but realized with frustration that he had left it at Ordon. Deciding to try to find his way through the room, he began to inch his way forward until he felt cold steel against his throat.

"Drop your weapon or die," an accented voice hissed into his ear as Link was pulled against someone, the steel pressing against his jugular.

Cold fear filled Link and his palms began to sweat. He would not be able to fight, he realized quickly. Whoever this was could see in the dark; Link had no chance.

Whoever this was…the statues...had the statues been…?

This person, thing, had turned the soldiers into statues, Link realized as more pressure was applied to the blade against his throat.

He had no choice but to surrender.

Closing his eyes, Link let his left arm drop and let go of the Master Sword.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: Sorry about the long wait between chapters. I got this horrible urge to write as many one shots as possible. I also started another chaptered story. Woohoo! If you like Hetalia, you should check out the three one shots and the chaptered story. If you don't, well, you should still give them a try. :P Anyways, I'm also sorry that this chapter is pretty short. The next few will be longer. I'm just trying to figure out where exactly I want this to go after the next few chapters. **

**Alright, so, enjoy! Please read and review!**

Link awoke in a completely dark room. What had…?

He had been in Hyrule castle, yes, he remembered that. Something had happened, something was wrong. Ganondorf? No, no, not that, he told himself.

The soldiers, yes! Something was wrong with them. Dead? No, well, yes? Were they fighting? Well, they had fought, he remembered. Stone, rocks, broken pillars…the soldiers had turned to stone!

Almost immediately, the Hylian became completely alert. He needed…where was his sword?

It was then, as he tried to move, that Link realized he was in shackles. As he struggled against them, he felt the chains cut into his wrists. His arms were held above his head, he discovered by testing the chains.

He sighed, thinking. The room was pitch black He couldn't see his hands above his head. Getting out would be a challenge, if it even were possible.

Was it possible?

There's always a way out, he told himself, growing more frustrated. Heavy footsteps behind Link pulled him out of his thoughts and he felt his blood run cold.

He had been captured in a completely dark room, the swordsman remembered. Behind him, he heard the person shout something in a harsh language that he couldn't understand. But it made his blood run cold.

Suddenly, Link let out a cry of pain. Something…had happened. He wasn't sure what exactly. He felt as if his back had been sliced opened…but it hurt more than a regular sword wound would hurt.

He felt almost nauseous as he heard the blood drip onto the floor. It was deep, he realized as he closed his eyes to try and ignore the pain. There was a cracking sound and he was doubled over as best he could, a deep gash suddenly appearing across his stomach.

A wave of dizziness passed over the young man as another deep wound appeared across his upper back. The shackles cut into his wrists as he tried to move and he felt more blood drip down his arms before he lost consciousness.

Sometime later, Link began to awaken. His torso throbbed and he could still feel blood dripping down his back.

A soft, cold hand touched his shoulder and the Hylian jumped, looking around in the blackness for whoever the hand was attached to.

"Shh, shh." Someone kneeled next to him and placed a hand over his mouth. He turned his head, searching for whoever was near him. All he saw was a pair of striking red eyes that seemed to see him even in the darkness. It was as if they were glowing.

"Make any sound and we're both dead," the person whispered. Still lightheaded, Link closed his eyes, trying figure out where the person was. "I will help you."

Above him, his wrists were suddenly free and the Hylian fell back, unconscious before he hit the floor.


End file.
